A Holden Family Surprise
by Klutzygirl33
Summary: The Holden family tries to deal with Claudia Joy's pregnancy. Based purely on speculation for "First Response". Two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Army Wives and never will. No copyright infringement intended.  
**Author's Note**: Based on what I think will be the surprise in tomorrow's episode, First Response. This is a two-shot. The epilogue will be up soon.

* * *

When Claudia Joy Holden came from the hospital after her car accident she sat down on the couch and stared at the couch. She still couldn't believe she was pregnant. Claudia Joy still remembered the pregnancy scare she had a few months after Amanda's death and had never expected to actually end up pregnant again.

"Are you okay?" asked Michael. He was worried about his wife and unborn child. When he got that phone call about Claudia Joy being in a car accident, his whole world had stopped. What if she had died like Amanda? Instead, she had just been badly injured and was pregnant. Both Claudia Joy and the baby were okay, and that was all that mattered.

"I'm fine," Claudia Joy replied. She would just have to get used to the fact that she was pregnant for the third time. She did have seven months left in the pregnancy, anyway.

"I still can't believe I'm going to be a big sister." Emmalin still missed Amanda and it hurt a lot, but she would try to be the big sister that Amanda was.

Claudia Joy laughed nervously. "I can't believe your father and I are going to have a baby in the house again." 3:00AM feedings and diaper changes were going to make a return. At least Roland and Joan had Sara Elizabeth. They could bring her over to play with the baby.

Michael sat down next to his wife and kissed her. "I love you, Claudia Joy. We can definitely do this. We're older, but Emmalin can help us. Won't you?" There was no doubt in his mind that Emmalin would end up spoiling her younger brother or sister.

Emmalin nodded. "I'll change a diaper, even if it's gross." She didn't anticipate getting woken up in the middle of the night, but at least it would be practice for whenever she had kids.

Both Michael and Claudia Joy laughed. Emmalin would no doubt change her mind the first dirty diaper, but the two weren't about to tell her that. "I need to make an appointment with my OB/GYN. I need an ultrasound so soon. " Claudia Joy didn't want to even think about maternity outfits (Although they were supposed to much better than they had been during her pregnancies with Amanda and Emmalin) or the nursery yet.

"I'll make it for you." Michael didn't want Claudia Joy to get up off the couch when she was still hurting this badly. He would do everything he could to make sure that she was comfortable in the next few weeks and for the rest of her pregnancy.

"Are you sure? I can do it, Michael," she assured her husband. Michael was probably going to treat her like glass for awhile. The accident had really scared him.

"Okay," Michael reluctantly agreed. He couldn't help but be overprotective of Claudia Joy and the baby. She, the baby, and Emmalin were his family. Michael had to be there for them.

"I can't wait until you're feeling better," Emmalin informed her mother. She hugged her and then went upstairs to work on some homework. She had missed school for a few days when her mother was in the hospital and had to catch up.

"How are we supposed to raise another baby? Emmalin's going to be out of the house in a year. We were almost done," Claudia Joy said to Michael. A baby was somewhat of a good thing, but she and Michael were older. They were almost done with raising kids. Now they were starting over.

"Yes, we're older. And yes, Emmalin will be out of the house in a year, but who cares if we have to start over with another baby? We have enough money to raise another child. Stop worrying. We'll be fine." Michael knew that he was going to have be a rock for Claudia Joy for the next few months, but he didn't mind. He'd be there for the cravings and mood swings. They hadn't bothered him too much with Emmalin, since he had missed a lot of Claudia Joy's first pregnancy.

"You do know what to say to calm me down," Claudia Joy murmured. She leaned against her husband and reached for the remote. She turned on the TV, and the couple watched sitcoms for a few hours. Michael had his hand on his wife's stomach the entire time. She didn't say anything about it, however.

Against her better judgment, by the time the couple got to bed, Claudia Joy already had several names running through her head. She couldn't sleep because all she could think about were baby names.

"Go to sleep. You need it," a tired Michael told Claudia Joy. He knew what she was thinking about, but they had seven more months until the baby came.

"I can't sleep. My mind's on overdrive. What are we going to name the baby?" Claudia Joy had had these types of nights during both of her pregnancies, and it had hit her early this time around. She and Michael had to get used to lack of sleep, anyway.

"I love you, Claudia Joy, but you're thinking too much. Go to sleep and we'll talk about this in the morning." Michael was exhausted from worrying about his wife for several days on end. He couldn't go to sleep if Claudia Joy didn't. It was a byproduct of being together for so long.

"I love you too, Michael. Just let me write down the names I like first. At least there's a notepad here so I don't have to get out of bed." Claudia Joy knew how much Michael would marry if she stepped out of bed. He and Emmalin had been doing everything for her today. She couldn't wait to be back on her feet and taking care of everything herself.

"What are your favorites so far?" Michael didn't know why he was asking Claudia Joy this, but he figured it might get her to go to sleep sooner.

Claudia Joy began going over the list of names she had so far, and wrote them down on the notepad as she was talking to her husband. After awhile, she did fall asleep. The exhaustion and pain she was still in the accident caught up to her.

The next morning, Emmalin had breakfast ready for both of her parents. "I figured it's the least I could do," she explained to them. She would most likely make breakfast for them after the baby was born. Emmalin would have college soon after the baby was born, but that didn't matter. She would do as much as she could for them before she left.

"Thanks so much. I'm starving." Claudia Joy couldn't believe the cravings were already setting in, but maybe it had something to do with knowing about her pregnancy and the power of suggestion.

Michael grabbed a piece of toast and sat down at the table. He began to eat. Claudia Joy sat down next to her husband and daughter, and started to eat with them.

Claudia Joy and Michael had never expected to have a third child, but it had happened. Both were excited about meeting the new baby, even if the pregnancy had been a surprise.

The Holden family had a lot to look forward to in the next seven months.


	2. Epilogue

**Author's Note**: Sorry I didn't get this up sooner! I started school two weeks ago, and it was an adjustment trying to get used to everything again. And when I finished this yesterday, it wouldn't let me. Sorry it's late.

* * *

Claudia Joy Holden headed towards her car to pick up the kids from school. Her and Michael's youngest children probably couldn't wait to come home.

Her third pregnancy had been hard. It had been a wonder that the car accident hadn't caused her to miscarry. At her first ultrasound, Claudia Joy and Michael had been shocked to learn she was having twins.

Several months later, Keely Grace and Dylan Michael Holden made their appearance into the world. Claudia Joy's friends chipped in to help her and Michael in those first few weeks.

It was still so hard for Claudia Joy to believe that her babies had just started third grade. They were growing up so fast.

She pulled up to the school and waited for Keely and Dylan to come out. "Hi, Mommy!" chirped an excited Keely as she opened the door. Dylan followed his sister into the car.

"What are we having for dinner, Mommy?" Dylan questioned. He was also a hungry little boy, but Claudia Joy didn't mind. She knew what Roxy and Trevor's sons were like as teenagers when it came to food.

"I'm not sure yet, Kiddo." Claudia Joy knew there was a possibility that Emmalin would invite everyone over for a dinner at her house. Emmalin's husband Chris was a master at grilling, and loved having people over. Besides, she and Michael were missing their ten month old granddaughter, Amanda. Mandy was their first grandchild, and she and Michael couldn't help but spoil her.

"Can we go out to eat?" asked Keely. She loved going to restaurants to eat. The little girl also loved to cook. This had convinced Michael that his youngest daughter was going to end up as a chef.

"Maybe." Claudia Joy waved when she saw Roxy in her car. Roxy was waiting for her daughter to come out. A few weeks after she had learned of her pregnancy with Keely and Dylan, Roxy had learned of her own pregnancy.

"I can't wait to have a sleepover at Aunt Roxy and Uncle Trevor's house," Keely commented. She was best friends with Sara Elizabeth Burton and Sophia LeBlanc. Sophia was Roxy and Trevor's oldest daughter. Besides TJ, Finn, and Sophia, they also had five year old Aurora and four month old Alexandra.

Roxy and Trevor had thought they were done having kids upon Aurora's birth. Alexandra had been a surprise, but they didn't care about that. They adored their youngest child. Nobody seemed to mind that the age difference between TJ and Alexandra was nineteen years.

" Stop talking about it," Dylan complained to his twin. He was going over to a friend's house too, but Keely couldn't stop babbling about her sleepover.

"Dylan Michael," Claudia Joy warned. She had to punish her son more than she ever had to punish Amanda, Emmalin, and Keely. It was different raising a son, something she and Michael had learned almost immediately after the twins were born.

"Sorry, Keely." Dylan hated to get in trouble, and knew the use of his middle name meant he had to apologize. He liked Keely, but she annoyed him sometimes. Keely felt the same way about him, but neither of them knew that.

The three Holdens pulled up to their house a few minutes later. Keely and Dylan ran to the door. Claudia Joy tried to hurry up so she could unlock it. "Homework now if you have it," she told her kids as they entered the house.

Both of them headed right towards the kitchen table to get started on their homework. That would keep them busy for a little while. Claudia Joy decided to call Denise. She hadn't talked to her since yesterday morning.

The phone rang a few times before it was picked up. ecided to call Denise. She hadn't talked to her since yesterday morning.

The phone rang a few times before it was picked up. "Sherwood house. Hi, Aunt Claudia Joy!" cried a little voice. It was Denise and Frank's four year old granddaughter, Vivienne. They had adopted her as a baby when her mother had died in a car accident. Unfortunately for Denise and Frank, Jeremy had been killed before his daughter's birth in an Amy related incident. Jeremy had met Vivy's older brother, Jacob, however. Jake was eleven months older than his younger sister, and had also been adopted by Frank and Denise.

"Hi, Vivy. Is your mommy home?" Although Jake and Vivy knew that Denise and Frank were their grandparents, they still referred to them as their parents. Neither cared about that, since they loved their two grandchildren so much.

"Yes. I'll go get her." There was a silence for a few seconds before Denise picked up the phone. The two women talked for awhile, before they got off the phone to start dinner.

"Can we go see Emmalin, Chris, and Mandy tomorrow?" Keely worshipped the ground her sister walked on. She had always been attached to Emmalin. At least the way it seemed to Claudia Joy and Michael.

"Mommy and I will think about it," Michael said, entering the house. Keely and Dylan became instantly excited upon seeing their father, and rushed towards him. Michael hugged them, and then sat down at the table. Claudia Joy smiled at her husband and the two began to kiss.

Pamela Moran called later that night, just as Keely and Dylan went off to bed. "Katie's driving me crazy. I don't know how you got through the teenage years with Amanda and Emmalin," she informed Claudia Joy.

"We made it through eventually. Michael's dreading the day that we have two teenagers in this house again." Claudia Joy didn't want her babies to grow up so fast, but she wasn't about to tell anyone that. She had Mandy, and hopefully more grandchildren, to look forward to.

Pamela laughed. "I have to work tomorrow. Katie thinks this means I'm going to miss her going to her dance. It won't, but she freaked out on me. I promised her that I'd be home on time and if I couldn't, Jack would be, and he'd take a lot of pictures".

Jack was Pamela's second husband. Chase had been killed on a mission only five weeks after Roxy gave birth to Sophia. She had been sent spiraling into a depression. Pamela hadn't left her house for weeks, until the girls had dragged her out. She had decided to become a cop again, but stayed near base. Pamela hadn't wanted to uproot her kids. Two years later she met Jack, a doctor, after being shot on duty. Jack hadn't been her doctor, but the two had instantly clicked. They had married two years after meeting.

"I hope you get off work early," Claudia Joy answered. She knew that it wouldn't end well if Pamela didn't make it.

Pamela and Claudia Joy talked for ten more minutes, and then hung up.

A few days later, the entire group of friends got together to eat a big dinner today. The younger kids played together, while the other kids played video games or talked to the adults.

Claudia Joy couldn't help but smile as she looked around at her family and friends. Life wasn't perfect, but it was pretty good.

She couldn't wait to see what the future brought.

* * *

I'm thinking of a sequel that explores the eight years before the epilogue, and maybe go beyond it. What do you think?


End file.
